2 Chronicles 29 7

2 Chronicles 29:7 kjv

Also they have shut up the doors of the porch, and put out the lamps, and have not burned incense nor offered burnt offerings in the holy place unto the God of Israel.

2 Chronicles 29:7 nkjv

They have also shut up the doors of the vestibule, put out the lamps, and have not burned incense or offered burnt offerings in the holy place to the God of Israel.

2 Chronicles 29:7 niv

They also shut the doors of the portico and put out the lamps. They did not burn incense or present any burnt offerings at the sanctuary to the God of Israel.

2 Chronicles 29:7 esv

They also shut the doors of the vestibule and put out the lamps and have not burned incense or offered burnt offerings in the Holy Place to the God of Israel.

2 Chronicles 29:7 nlt

They also shut the doors to the Temple's entry room, and they snuffed out the lamps. They stopped burning incense and presenting burnt offerings at the sanctuary of the God of Israel.

2 Chronicles 29 verses

2 Chronicles 29 7 Meaning

This verse articulates King Hezekiah's confession of Judah's profound and multi-generational unfaithfulness to the LORD. It identifies the root cause of the nation's spiritual and physical decline as their ancestors' active sin against God's divine standard and their deliberate abandonment of the LORD and His ordained worship, symbolised by turning away from and showing disrespect towards His Temple. It highlights a conscious rejection of their covenant relationship, leading to national distress.

2 Chronicles 29 7 Context

King Hezekiah ascended to the throne of Judah after his father, King Ahaz, who was notoriously idolatrous and defiled the Temple (2 Chr 28). Chapter 29 marks the beginning of Hezekiah's spiritual reforms, aiming to restore proper worship of the LORD. This verse is part of Hezekiah's passionate address to the Levites and priests, whom he challenges to sanctify themselves and the Temple. Hezekiah acknowledges the accumulated sin of previous generations ("our fathers") as the direct cause of the current distress, including the neglect and defilement of the Temple, and divine judgment against Judah. This confession lays the theological groundwork for the sweeping reforms and revival that follow.

2 Chronicles 29 7 Word analysis

• For our fathers:

  • Significance: Identifies the lineage and collective responsibility. This isn't just about individual sin but a corporate, generational pattern of unfaithfulness that accumulated to national apostasy. It implies inherited consequences.
  • 'Our fathers' (אֲבוֹתֵינוּ - avoteinu): Refers to the preceding generations of Judahite kings and the people during their reigns, particularly highlighting the spiritual failures since the unified kingdom.

• have trespassed:

  • Original Word: מָעֲלוּ (ma'alu) from the root מָעַל (ma'al)
  • Meaning: To be unfaithful, to act treacherously, to commit a transgression or breach of trust, especially in matters pertaining to God or sacred things. It denotes a specific violation of duty or covenant obligation, often involving sacred property or offerings (Lev 5:15-16, Num 5:6-8).
  • Significance: More than just sin; it's a deliberate breach of the sacred covenant with God. This points to a deeper spiritual rebellion against God's explicit commands and relationship.

• and done what was evil:

  • Original Word: הָרַע (hara') from the root רָעַע (ra'a')
  • Meaning: To be bad, evil, displeasing, morally wrong, wicked. It describes general unrighteous behavior that God perceives as wrong.
  • Significance: Expands upon 'trespassed,' showing that their treachery was manifested in pervasive wicked deeds. It covers a broad spectrum of idolatry, moral depravity, and disobedience that openly violated God's moral law and provoked His wrath.

• in the eyes of the LORD our God:

  • Significance: Emphasizes God's omniscience, justice, and perfect standard. Their actions were not just evil in human perception, but directly offensive to God Himself, indicating that He observed, judged, and condemned their conduct. It highlights the divine perspective of their wrongdoing.

• they have forsaken Him:

  • Original Word: עֲזָבוּהוּ (azavu-hu) from the root עָזַב (azav)
  • Meaning: To abandon, desert, leave, neglect, give up.
  • Significance: This describes a complete and deliberate rejection of the covenant relationship. It is an active abandonment, rather than passive neglect. They consciously turned away from allegiance to God as their King and Deliverer.

• and have turned their faces away from the dwelling place of the LORD:

  • 'Turned their faces away': A clear and intentional act of disrespect and avoidance. Instead of seeking God or His presence, they actively ignored it.
  • 'The dwelling place of the LORD': Refers to the Temple in Jerusalem, the physical representation of God's presence among His people and the designated center for their worship, prayer, and sacrifices. This neglect implies turning away from divine revelation, worship, and access to God.
  • Significance: Not only had they rejected God Himself, but also the physical manifestation of His presence and the ordained means of worship and reconciliation. This highlights their total disregard for God's institutions and the proper relationship with Him.

• and have turned their backs on Him:

  • Significance: The ultimate sign of contempt, disrespect, and total rejection in ancient Near Eastern culture. It’s an insolent act of repudiation, signifying a complete spiritual apostasy where they utterly rejected their God. This phrase signifies a full and conscious turning away from God, actively despising Him rather than merely neglecting.

• Words-group by words-group analysis:

  • "For our fathers have trespassed and done what was evil": This foundational statement pinpoints the generational sin as the root cause of the current plight. The combination of "trespassed" (covenant violation) and "done evil" (general wickedness) underscores the pervasive nature of their spiritual corruption.
  • "in the eyes of the LORD our God": Reaffirms divine judgment. All their actions were naked before God, emphasizing His holy standard and their direct offence against Him.
  • "they have forsaken Him and have turned their faces away from the dwelling place of the LORD, and have turned their backs on Him": This triple phrase emphasizes the deliberate and extreme nature of their spiritual rebellion. "Forsaken Him" denotes abandonment of relationship, "turned their faces away from the dwelling place" signifies neglect of worship, and "turned their backs on Him" is the strongest expression of open contempt and complete repudiation of God and His covenant. It describes a profound spiritual detachment.

2 Chronicles 29 7 Bonus section

The Chronicler's emphasis on the Temple and priesthood is particularly evident here. The description of turning away from and turning their backs on "the dwelling place of the LORD" underscores the centrality of the Temple in Judah's spiritual life and its symbolic importance as the locus of God's presence. Defiling or neglecting the Temple was tantamount to neglecting God Himself. This also connects to the theological framework where the Temple, initially representing God's tangible presence, pointed forward to Jesus Christ (John 2:19-21) and now to believers as the "temple of the Holy Spirit" (1 Cor 6:19), underscoring that our reverence for God is tied to how we regard His manifest presence among us. The corporate responsibility highlighted in this verse—"our fathers" bearing the blame—is a recurring theme in the Old Testament, where the actions of leaders or previous generations can have ripple effects on succeeding ones, prompting a call for present-day repentance to break the cycle.

2 Chronicles 29 7 Commentary

Hezekiah's confession in 2 Chronicles 29:7 is a critical theological statement. It highlights the chronic unfaithfulness of the preceding generations as the direct cause of the spiritual and physical decline of Judah and the defilement of the Temple. The "trespass" implies a breach of covenant with a holy God, specifically against His sacred institutions and laws, leading to "evil" actions that were abominable "in His eyes." The strong imagery of "forsaking Him" and "turning their faces away" from His dwelling, culminating in "turning their backs on Him," illustrates a profound and active rejection of God and His ordained worship. This deep-seated rebellion led to God's disciplinary hand on the nation, manifested in war and captivity (as alluded to in prior verses and broader Old Testament narrative). Hezekiah, recognizing this severe sinfulness, initiates drastic reforms, beginning with spiritual cleansing and the restoration of proper worship, a powerful example of confession preceding revival. This confession models the necessary self-humiliation and acknowledgement of sin that precedes God's grace and restoration.